The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens My rating: 4 of 5 stars As I continue my discovery of Charles Dickens I thought it would be interesting to go to the book that brought him original acclaim. This was combined with a desire for light reading, which every commenter agrees is what one gets from The Pickwick Papers. I also read G.K. Chesterton’s commentary on the novel which points out that, for a comic novel, it has a great deal of... Read more
Ever since I abandoned the 4-Volume set of the Liturgy of the Hours for mobile app versions I am still always on the prowl for newer apps and updates. The original entry in this field was iBreviary by Fr. Padrini. While good enough I was never happy with the daily update mechanism and the app itself has not been updated for a year and a half. I had been interested in the Universalis app, but at almost $30 dollars at... Read more
After listening to Tim Staples for many years on Catholic Answers I was always hoping he would finally get around to writing a book. He has produced lots of audio CDs along with one book containing a collection of his excellent columns in This Rock (now renamed) magazine. So I finally got my wish with Behold Your Mother – A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines. The Marian doctrines and the high place Mary occupies for Catholics was... Read more
I’ve read some books on the history of the Crusades and it is a rather fascinating chapter of Church history. It is kind of like the Facebook relationship status “It’s complicated.” Yet as interesting as the history of the Crusades is, it is usually a history that was filtered and altered down to us as a synonym of evil. In a Robert Heinlein book I recently read the Crusades were put on the same par as the Holocaust. So when... Read more
Here are two great new books that Ave Maria Press has for Advent. Read more
Ignatius Press is offering Terrapin, by T.M. Doran, as a FREE eBook. Be sure to check it out! Read more
These are books that passed the first chapter test. Some are enticing me in spite of myself. Naturally that means that although I haven’t read them yet I wanted to give you a heads up in case they entice you too. The Ancient Path: Old Lessons from the Church Fathers for a New Life Today by John Michael Talbot and Michael Aquilina In the 1970s, John Michael Talbot was new to the Christian faith and developed a habit of looking... Read more
Sarah Reinhard shares why Gay and Catholic is a book that you need to read. Read more
Some quick looks at books I’ve enjoyed lately which you may not hear talked about much. The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a superbly written book which gives you excellent insight into what it would have been like to live back in the 1300s, by the simple method of acting as a travel book for your trip through time. I... Read more
Scott Danielson and I talk about the history of the Catholic Church and how it applies to our lives today in The Catholic Church Through the Ages by John Vidmar, OP. Get it at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. Read more
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